Munster had to retire from the challenging Safari Rally on Saturday after damaging his car against a rock. The Luxembourger eventually took away two championship points, finishing sixth in Sunday’s daily standings.
Munster’s teammate Adrien Fourmaux performed flawlessly in Kenya, securing a third-place finish. Better results were possible for Munster too, had it not been for the retirement.
“I think we were driving carefully with a smart approach, and in the end, it could have been a top-five finish. Unfortunately, on Saturday morning we hit a rock and didn’t manage to repair the car, even though we really gave it our best,” Munster lamented.
“A bit disappointing, but at least we were able to come back on Sunday to cover the kilometres, gain the experience, and take a couple of points for the championship. Even though it’s not the result we wanted, I think there are still some positives to take home.”
Munster is competing in his first full season in the main class of the World Rally Championship. So far, it has resulted in three failures in three WRC rallies.
In Rally Monte Carlo, he slid off the road, and likewise in Sweden, the Ford Puma slipped into a snowbank. Munster provided an explanation for his early-season problems in an interview with Belgium’s RTBF channel.
“In Monte Carlo, we were going five kilometres per hour too fast. In Sweden, we had a bit too much pressure in the tyres during braking. And here, it’s a deviation from the ideal line by five centimetres,” Munster said.
“These are minor errors, but when you’re racing in the WRC, the margins are incredibly slim. You have to be perfect everywhere, and you can’t afford these kinds of mistakes. But still, we learn, and we’ll come back stronger,” Munster expressed optimism.
Munster will next compete in Croatia Rally on asphalt in two weeks.
